"Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale"—Rudolf Virchow

May 05, 2019

PURI, India, May 5 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless after a cyclone packing winds of about 200 km per hour slammed into eastern India, ripping out tin roofs and destroying power and telecom lines, officials said on Sunday.

At least 33 people were killed after cyclone Fani struck the state of Odisha on Friday but a million people emerged unscathed after they moved into storm shelter ahead of landfall.

The death toll could have been much greater if not for the massive evacuation in the days before the storm made landfall, officials said.

The seaside temple town of Puri, which lay directly in the path of Fani, suffered extensive damage as winds gusting up to 200 kph (124 mph) tore off tin roofs, snapped power lines, and uprooted trees on Friday.

"The cyclone has killed 21 people in Puri and about 300 people are injured," Brajabandhu Dash, medical officer at Puri, told Reuters. Earlier, 12 deaths were reported from other parts of the state.

The depression over the Western Meghalaya and adjoining Bangladesh has weakened, and will become insignificant in the next 24 hours, India's met department said on Twitter early on Sunday.

According to preliminary reports, Fani damaged power infrastructure worth more than 12 billion rupees ($173.7 million) and the authorities are trying to restore electricity supply for emergency services, another official said.

More than 60,000 people including officials and volunteers were involved in relief operations, said special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi, who monitored the evacuation.

The relief effort used sirens, loudspeakers and sent more than 20 million mobile messages to the targeted people, he said.

The cyclone season in the Bay of Bengal can last from April to December, and storms can be deadly. In 1999, a super-cyclone battered the coast of Odisha for 30 hours, killing 10,000 people.

Fani was the strongest summer cyclone in 43 years to hit Odisha, disrupting water supplies and transport links, the state's chief minister Naveen Patnaik said in a statement.

"We are in the process of restoring physical infrastructure," he told reporters.

May 02, 2019

Incessant rain drenched parts of coastal Odisha as the extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani remained on course to hit the state near Puri between 8 and 10 am on Friday.

It was a race against time for the state government and the disaster mitigation agencies NDRF, ODRF, Fire services as Fani gathered speed in the Bay causing a constant revision of timeline in evacuation and other operations.

Initially, the forecast was landfall will take place near Puri at around 5.30 pm. This was revised to between 10 and 12 noon and the latest was advanced by another two hours – 8 and 10 am.

Odisha government, which has set global standards in disaster response and mitigation, targeted to evacuate 11.50 lakh[1,150,000] people from low lying areas along 11 coastal districts by Thursday evening. But, with Fani gathering speed of 12 km per hour in the sea, the administration was racing against time and at the time of reporting, 6 lakh[600,000] people have been moved to safer places and cyclone shelters.

Wind speed reach 200 km per hour is the forecast. In state capital Bhubaneswar, the speed would be 115 km per hour.

Besides, the gale and gusty cyclonic wind, the sea surge with high tidal waves expected to be five to seven mts in Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts is likely to inundate low lying areas.

Whipped by cyclonic winds, the sea waters could sweep up to six km inland affecting habitation in two coastal districts of Puri and Jagatsinghpur.

Reservoir levels are low and there is no fear of floods, but rainwater and sea water evacuation will be required, said official sources.

Relief and rescue operations are in full operational mode.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the preparedness levels and appealed to people to maintain calm, remain indoors and safe. Each life is precious, he said, while insisting that the government is fully prepared to face the cyclone.

April 29, 2019

Rains grounded aid flights in northern Mozambique for a second day on Monday, hampering efforts to reach survivors of Cyclone Kenneth as the death toll there jumped to 38.

Rescuers managed to use a brief break in the downpours to send one helicopter packed with aid to the island of Ibo, where hundreds of homes were flattened by the second cyclone to hit the country in less than six weeks.

But rains started again and conditions were too dangerous for the next flight to take off, the United Nations said. Roads to rural districts further north were swamped and impassable after torrential rains on Sunday.

"Unfortunately the weather conditions are changing too fast and threatening the operation," said Saviano Abreu, a spokesman for the United Nations' humanitarian arm OCHA.

Cyclone Kenneth slammed into the Comoros and then Mozambique's province of Cabo Delgado on Thursday with storm surges and winds of up to 280 kph - stretching resources in a region still recovering from Cyclone Idai which struck further south in March.

The storm knocked out power and communications. Some rural communities were reduced to mounds of jumbled wood, with only the occasional structure and coconut tree left standing.

Four people died in the Comoros, the United Nations said. Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management said its death toll stood at 38 on Monday - up from an earlier estimate of five - and just over 168,000 people had been affected.

After the first hit, heavy rains pounded Mozambique's north, an area prone to floods and landslides. Information about the scale of the flooding in more remote districts remains scant.

• Tropical Cyclone Kenneth has now “stalled” over Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique, where it is expected to bring heavy rains in the coming days.

• In Mozambique, one death has been reported and more than 18,000 people are sheltering in accommodation centres, according to preliminary Government figures.

• In the Comoros, three fatalities have been reported on Grande Comore Island, at least 20 people are injured and 1,000 displaced.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Tropical Cyclone Kenneth made landfall in Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique on 25 April with 200km/h winds impacting several coastal areas, making it one of the strongest storms to ever hit Mozambique. After landfall, the cyclone is reported to have lost strength and evolved into a low-pressure system with winds around 80km/h. It has now reportedly “stalled” over Cabo Delgado where it is forecasted to remain for at least the next two days, with heavy rains falling over a localized area. The stalling of the weather system is likely to cause significant flooding in Cabo Delgado, as well as high rainfall in southern Tanzania, over the next 10 days.

In Mozambique, Quissanga, Macomia, and Ibo districts in Cabo Delgado have been hardest-hit, according to preliminary government reports. At least one death has been reported and 18,029 people have reportedly been displaced and are living in accommodation centres, according to the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC). At least 3,384 houses have been totally destroyed (450) or partially destroyed (2,934), while at least 31 classrooms and 3 health facilities have been damaged.

Cyclone Kenneth made landfall at the end of the rainy season, when river levels were already high. The Messalo, Montepuez and Megaruma rivers are on high alert for potential flooding, with more than 14,000 people in areas with at least a 50 percent chance of river flooding. Although predicted rainfall has reduced slightly since earlier forecasts, rainfall is still expected to be in excess of 500mm in the hardest-hit areas. Electricity was cut off at 1630hrs on 25 April in the districts of Meluco, Quissanga, Ibo, Macomia, Muidumbe, Mueda, Nangade, Mocimba da Praia and Palma. Electricity Mozambique (Electricidade de Moçambique - EDM) has sent out a team to repair the lines.

In the Comoros, three fatalities have been reported on Grande Comore Island, at least 20 people are injured and 1,000 displaced. Initial reports point to extensive damage across the islands, with several villages flooded, and roads cut-off in Grande Comore and Anjouan. Winds reportedly caused widespread power outages in the northern part of the main island, Grande Comore, and the capital Moroni, as well as on the island of Anjouan. In Moroni, homes and roads are reportedly damaged and destroyed, telephone poles and trees are down

RESPONSE

The Comoros has activated its National Contingency Plan with the establishment of a fixed command post within the General Directorate of Civil Security (DGSC). Rapid assessments, led by the Government, are underway. Fire fighters have been deployed and Red Crescent volunteers are providing first aid and assessing needs on the ground. Gaining physical access to all affected areas is a challenge. The Union of the Comoros comprises three islands, and transportation between them has been impaired by the storm.

In Mozambique, an INGC team, led by the Director-General, is undertaking rapid assessments of affected areas, supported by humanitarian partners and has reached more than 2,500 families with immediate assistance. Humanitarian organizations have pre-positioned supplies and have additional teams on stand-by to deploy to the area.

JOHANNESBURG/LUANDA, April 26 (Reuters) - Cyclone Kenneth killed at least one person and left a trail of destruction in northern Mozambique, destroying houses, ripping up trees and knocking out power, authorities said on Friday.

The cyclone brought storm surges and wind gusts of up to 280 km per hour (174 mph) when it made landfall on Thursday evening, after killing three people in the island nation of Comoros.

It was the most powerful storm on record to hit Mozambique's northern coast and came just six weeks after Cyclone Idai battered the impoverished nation, causing devastating floods and killing more than 1,000 people across a swathe of southern Africa.

The World Food Programme warned that Kenneth could dump as much as 600 millimetres of rain on the region over the next 10 days - twice that brought by Cyclone Idai.

One woman in the port town of Pemba died after being hit by a falling tree, the Emergency Operations Committee for Cabo Delgado (COE) said in a statement, while another person was injured.

In rural areas outside Pemba, many homes are made of mud. In the main town on the island of Ibo, 90 percent of the houses were destroyed, officials said. Around 15,000 people were out in the open or in "overcrowded" shelters and there was a need for tents, food and water, they said.

There were also reports of a large number of homes and some infrastructure destroyed in Macomia district, a mainland district adjacent to Ibo.

A local group, the Friends of Pemba Association, had earlier reported that they could not reach people in Muidumbe, a district further inland.

Mark Lowcock, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, warned the storm could require another major humanitarian operation in Mozambique.

"Cyclone Kenneth marks the first time two cyclones have made landfall in Mozambique during the same season, further stressing the government's limited resources," he said in a statement.

The ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) is a weekly bulletin for epidemiologists and health professionals on active public health threats. This issue covers the period from 21–27 April 2019 and includes updates on influenza A(H7N9), chikungunya and dengue, dengue, Ebola virus disease, influenza, Rift Valley fever and risks of communicable diseases related to Cyclone Idai.

Tropical Cyclone Kenneth passed through the Comoros on 24 April, hitting the northern Ngazidja Island and reportedly causing three deaths, at least 20 injuries and extensive damage to houses across the archipelago. Preliminary estimates indicate that at least 1,000 people were displaced, most of them children.

While assessments are ongoing, initial reports from the Comoros indicate that several villages were flooded due to sea surges and broken dykes, and that power was cut in multiple locations. Roads have reportedly been damaged and cut off by fallen trees, while telephone poles are down in multiple locations.

On the evening of 25 April, Tropical Cyclone Kenneth made landfall between the districts of Macomia and Mocimboa da Praia. Although preliminary information on impact is still incoming, the storm’s cyclonic winds were expected to reach 180 kilometres per hour prior to landfall, according to the Mozambique National Institute for Meteorology (INM).

The Cyclone is forecasted to bring heavy rains, with over 500mm of rainfall expected from 24 to 30 April, and more than 750mm possible in some locations in Cabo Delgado. As the storm comes at the end of the rainy season, river levels are already high, and several rivers are projected to increase beyond the severe alert threshold after landfall, with peak flows most likely to occur on 29 April in the region around Pemba (Mozambique). There is a high risk of flash flooding and landslides.

This is the first time in recorded history that two strong tropical cyclones have hit Mozambique in the same season, with Tropical Cyclone Kenneth following on the heels of Tropical Cyclone Idai, which made landfall on 14 March, leaving more than 600 people dead and an estimated 1.85 million people in need in Mozambique alone.

Tropical Cyclone Kenneth is expected to become only the third satellite-era system to evolve to a moderate tropical storm stage or higher in the area north of the Mozambique Channel, according to Meteo France. The other two systems concerned, Elinah in 1983 and Doloresse in 1996, did not reach the African coast. Tropical Cyclone Kenneth therefore threatens an area where the population is not used to cyclones.

Southern Tanzania and eastern Malawi are also expected to receive rains caused by the weather system. In Tanzania, an increase in cloud formation is already being witnessed, and an increase of rain is expected in Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Pemba, Lindi and Mtwara regions, the south coast of Tanzania and around Lake Victoria.

PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

The Comoros has activated its National Contingency Plan with the establishment of a fixed command post within the General Directorate of Civil Security (DGSC). Ahead of the storm, people living in high risk areas were urged to evacuate to shelters in safe locations. Emergency stocks have been positioned for the health, education, nutrition and WASH sectors and the United Nations has deployed staff to support Government-led assessments.

In Mozambique, the Government and Red Cross volunteers alerted communities in areas where the concern of flooding, erosion and landslides was particularly high and at least 30,000 people were evacuated from areas at highest-risk, according to the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC). Flights to Pemba have been suspended and schools have been closed in the cyclone’s path. Schools are also being prepared by the government to host people displaced by the storm.

An INGC team, led by the Director-General, has deployed to Pemba, which humanitarian partners are supporting. A joint World Food Programme (WFP)/International Organisation for Migration (IOM) team is pre-positioned in the northern part of the province to support the response. Humanitarian organizations have pre-positioned supplies and have additional teams on stand-by to deploy to the area.

In Tanzania, the Government initially issued a warning saying people in the town of Mtwara should move to higher grounds. However, as the storm path shifted southwards, the warning was stood down, according to media reports.

In Malawi, the Government has issued a statement saying it expects enhanced rainfall throughout the country and in particular along the lakeshore.

Since the last forecast, BBC Weather has said that there has been a slight weakening in the wind speeds generated by Cyclone Kenneth.

The sustained wind speed is thought to be 204km/h (127mph), but there could be gusts of up to 285km/h.

The cyclone should make landfall in the next few hours on the north coast of Mozambique some 100-150km (60-90 miles) north of the city of Pemba. It is expected that it will bring "catastrophic flooding", BBC Weather says.

MAPUTO - Baptized as "Kenneth", the phenomenon formed in the north of Madagascar as a system of low pressures, but yesterday intensified progressively, having at 14 hours evolved to moderate tropical storm, according to information confirmed by the National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) ).

His trajectory, according to a warning issued yesterday afternoon by the Center for Analysis and Weather Forecast, continues towards the coast of Cabo Delgado, where it is expected to influence the weather from this afternoon, with heavy rains, above 100 mm in 24 hours; thunderstorms and gusting winds at speeds of 80 to 130 kilometers per hour.

It is also expected that the center of the storm will enter the mainland tomorrow through the district of Palma, but even so the rains and the strong winds will reach Nacala, Memba, Eráti, Namapa, Island of Mozambique, Mussoril and Monapo, in the province of Nampula.

The maritime navigation in the Mozambique channel will also be affected by the bad weather, which will be felt until Saturday.

Facing this phenomenon, the National Directorate of Water Resources Management warns of the risk of urban flooding and erosion in Pemba, Nacala-Porto and Nacala-a-Velha, as well as probable transshipments of the Rovuma, Messalo, Montepuez, Megaruma and Lúrio, affecting nearly 70 thousand people.

In turn, the National Emergency Operations Center (CENOE) recommends the urgent withdrawal of communities and goods from river casualties, reinforcement of the roofs of the houses and the stay only in safe places. There is also a need to stay away from the electric power transmission lines and attentive to the information that is being disseminated by the local authorities.